1938–39 Boston Bruins season
The 1938–39 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 15th season in the NHL. The Bruins finished first in the NHL and won their eighth Prince of Wales Trophy. The Bruins defeated Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 1 to win the Stanley Cup for the second time, the first time in 10 years. Regular Season The Bruins started the season with the same uniforms as in the past two years but for the 1939 Stanley Cup Finals slight changes were made. Photos throughout the season and in the 1939 Semi-Finals show the Bruins in jerseys with black numbers and solid black shoulders. But in the Finals, gold was added to the shoulder yokes, stripes were added to the pants and the socks changed to a pattern that would last nearly three decades. Black numbers remained on the jersey front and back with black block "B's" on the arms. The Bruins would continue to use these new jerseys for the 1939-40 season. In the off-season, the NHL would lose a franchise, as the Montreal Maroons would fold, leaving the league with seven teams, and eliminating the American and Canadian Division format the league had been using since 1926. The Bruins would make a key acquisition, acquiring Roy Conacher from the Kirkland Lake Hargreaves of the NOHA. The biggest change for the Bruins this season was in goal. Perennial All-Star and Vezina Trophy winner Tiny Thompson was injured in an exhibition game and couldn't start the regular season. Frank Brimsek was called up from the Providence Reds of the IAHL, who he'd led to the Calder Cup in 1937-38. Brimsek won his first two NHL games but was sent back to the minors when Thompson was ready to play. Thompson played 5 games and went 3-1-1 but was 12 years older than Brimsek. Looking to the future, GM Art Ross traded Thompson to the Detroit Red Wings for Norm Smith and $15,000 and called Brimsek up. Bruin fans were enraged, made worse when Brimsek lost his first game replacing Thompson while Thompson won his first game with Detroit. However, Brimsek went on a tear, shutout the Chicago Blackhawks in the next game, won 7 in a row and posted shutouts in 6 of the games. During that seven game span, he set the NHL record for the longest shutout streak, 231 minutes and 54 seconds. He won over the Bruin fans who dubbed him "Mister Zero." Brimsek led the NHL with 33 wins and a 1.56 GAA, earning both the Vezina Trophy and the Calder Trophy. He also recorded 10 shutouts, which was among the league leaders. Brimsek would help lead the Bruins to 1st place in the NHL standings, as they finished the season with a record of 36–10–2, earning 74 points, their highest point total since the 1929–30 season. Bill Cowley would lead the team with 42 points, despite missing 14 games due to injuries. His 34 assists were a league high. Rookie Roy Conacher scored an NHL high 26 goals, and added 11 assists to finish with 37 points. Milt Schmidt continued to show improvement, scoring a career high 32 points. Flash Hollett led the Bruins defense with 27 points, as he scored 10 goals and added 17 assists, while Dit Clapper scored 13 goals and 26 points. Final Standings Game Log Playoffs In the playoffs, Boston would have a 1st round bye, advancing straight to the NHL semi-finals, where they would face the 2nd place New York Rangers in a best of 7 series. New York had 58 points during the regular season, which was 16 less than the Bruins. The line of Roy Conacher, Bill Cowley and Mel Hill was dominate and scored over half of Boston's goals in the playoffs. Boston Bruins 4, New York Rangers 3 This series is best remembered for Mel Hill scoring three OT goals, still an NHL record for OT goals in a series. Game 4 was one of the most violent in NHL history with six major penalties, stick swinging and a battered and concussed Eddie Shore insisting on playing and returning to game action with a broken nose. Game 1 opened at Madison Square Garden in New York. A clean, hard-checking game in which goalies Dave Kerr and Frank Brimsek dominated, the Rangers Alex Shibicky broke the ice late in the second period. Bill Cowley responded at the 4:40 mark of the third, sending the game in overtime. The Bruins would win a thrilling, triple overtime game by a score of 2–1 with Hill's first OT goal, assisted by Cowley. Game 2 moved to the Boston Garden, where another clean, hard-fought game ensued. The Bruins jumped out to a 2-0 lead on late first period goals by Conacher and Cowley. Shibicky cut the lead to 2-1 in the second before Dutch Hiller tied it up with less than four minutes left in the game. Hill scored his second overtime goal at the 8:24 mark of the first OT, again assisted by Cowley. Game 3 saw the Bruins take a commanding 3–0 lead in the series with a 4–1 win, looking to close out the series in the 4th game, as the series shifted back to New York. Game 4 at MSG saw the Rangers facing elimination which looked likely after Milt Schmidt scored his 3rd goal of the playoffs less than a minute into the game. Mac Colville tied it up at 8:58 but the game got progressively chippy. Phil Watson when charging after Jack Portland behind the Bruins net, resulting in some high sticking. Bryan Hextall jumped Portland from behind resulting in Eddie Shore wading in after Hextall. Rangers defensemen Muzz Patrick went after Shore and a brawl ensued. Patrick, who'd been a Canadian boxing champion and outweighed Shore by 30 pounds, broke Shore's nose during a fight with him. Shore left the game for repairs but came back in the second period and played with plaster over his broken nose. The Rangers Dutch Hiller, Babe Pratt, Patrick and Watson received major penalties as did the Bruins Jack Crawford, Gord Pettinger, Shore and Portland. Referee Mickey Ion handled out 60 minutes in penalties during the game. Having served his penalty time, in the second period, Muzz Patrick scored a Shorthanded goal at the 10:02 mark which proved to be the game winner. The series shifted back to Boston with the Bruins leading 3-1. Game 5 in Boston, the game would be decided in overtime, with New York once again winning by a 2–1 score to cut the series lead to 3–2. Game 6 was played back in New York, and with two power play goals in the the third period, the Rangers defeated the Bruins 3–1, to tie the series up at 3 games, forcing a 7th game to be played in Boston. Mel Hill scored Boston's only goal. Game 7 would be tied 1–1 after regulation time, and would not be settled until the 3rd overtime period, when Boston finally snapped the tie, winning the game 2–1 with Hill's third OT goal. The Bruins took the series 4–3 to advance to the Stanley Cup finals. Boston Bruins 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 1 The Bruins opponent was the Toronto Maple Leafs, who finished the season with a 19–20–9 record, earning 47 points, which was 27 points fewer than Boston. The Leafs defeated the New York Americans and Detroit Red Wings to earn a spot in the best of seven Finals. The Bruins went into the series the favorites, sporting new uniforms with gold added to the shoulders, pants and socks. Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Roy Conacher scored the Cup winning goal. Player Stats Regular Season ;Scoring ;Goaltending Playoffs ;Scoring ;Goaltending Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; Awards and Records * Prince of Wales Trophy: Boston Bruins * Vezina Trophy: Frank Brimsek (1st win) * Calder Memorial Trophy: Frank Brimsek * Bobby Bauer, Right Wing, NHL Second Team All-Star * Frank Brimsek, Goaltender, NHL First Team All-Star * Dit Clapper, Defence, NHL First Team All-Star * Eddie Shore, Defence, NHL First Team All-Star * Art Ross, Coach, NHL First Team All-Star Transactions *Leroy Goldsworthy is sold to the New York Americans. *Tiny Thompson is sold to the Detroit Red Wings for $15,000. Trivia *Bruins who recorded a Hat trick this season include: **xxx during the 4-2 win over the Montreal Maroons on November x, 1938. Gallery 28March1939-Bruins_NYR_melee1.jpg|Violence from Game 4 of 1939 Semis. #2 Eddie Shore battles Muzz Patrick with #8 Jack Portland and #16 Red Hamill. Note the solid black shoulder yolks. 28March1939-Bruins_NYR_melee2.jpg|Violence from Game 4 of 1939 Semis. NYR goalie Dave Kerr holds Frank Brimsek while #11 Gord Pettinger throws a punch. 1939_Bruins_first_goal.jpg|Bruins first goal in Game 1 of the Finals. Note the gold in the shoulder yolks, introduced for the Finals. 16Apr1939-Bruins_after_Cup_win.jpg|Bruins celebrate after the Cup win, April 16, 1939. Note the gold in the shoulder yolks, introduced for the Finals. 1939_Victory_Dinner_program.jpg|Program from the Victory Dinner. 1939_Victory_Dinner_pic.jpg|Victory Dinner held April 22, 1939. 1938-39_Boston_Bruins.jpg|1939 Cup Champions composite. Video A minute worth of footage from the New York Americans home opener on November 13, 1938 in which they defeated the Bruins 2-1. The Americans goals by #9 Lorne Carr and #10 Eddie Wiseman are shown. Both teams play in white jerseys making it a challenge to distinguish between them at times. The end of the clip shows Milt Schmidt setting up Bobby Bauer who nearly scores. Schmidt then bodychecks an American player and appears hurt. New York Americans Defeat Boston Bruins, 2-1, in Season Home Opener at Madison Square Garden (1938) See Also * 1938–39 NHL season References *National Hockey League Guide & Record Book 2007 External links *SHRP Sports *The Internet Hockey Database Category:Stanley Cup championship seasons Category:Boston Bruins seasons Category:1938 in hockey Category:1939 in hockey